Entertainment

Animation to Acting - One Piece Live Action Review 

By Giselle Rodriguez

Editor’s Note: Views expressed in this article are

solely the author's opinions and beliefs.

What was originally a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda is now known as the big hit anime One Piece. The first episode aired on October 20, 1999, with the production being continued to this day. With a total of 1075 episodes, many viewers consider the plot to be plain, vague, or even too repetitive. It might even discourage others from watching the show due to its abundant number of episodes. To combat this and even popularize it again, one of the biggest streaming platforms in the world, Netflix, collaborated with Shueisha to reintroduce the live-action version of One Piece, this time, without the use of typical animation. 

In terms of how the live action portrayed the plot of the original anime, I think they did a fantastic job. Luffy, a young adventurer who has longed for a life of freedom ever since he can remember, sets off from his small village on a perilous journey to find the legendary fabled treasure, One Piece. His all-time life goal is to become King of the Pirates, and throughout this mission, he meets and recruits other people of similar backgrounds so that they can all achieve their aspirations as well. Just like in the anime, there is no stereotypical ending, just a conflict that arises that Luffy and his crew should be able to handle. The plot was not affected much by the transition, but the camera work of a typical show was. 

It was noticeable that throughout the live action, the camera would zoom in very close on the actors' faces to enhance their emotions or reactions, even at unflattering angles. This is something seen very often in anime, but when brought to real life, it may seem weird at first. Although a risky move, I think it was a smart one. 

Another big challenge for producers was the portrayal of the characters. This had to be perfected, and it was beautifully done by each actor. To simply portray a character based on a script is simple but to imitate an animated one, is something completely different. A subtle difference, such as a smirk or a gulp, had to be included with every action. Moreover, nothing could be played off easily, as it would take away from the artistic feature of the show. 

The brightly colored clothing and dramatic prosthetics is what really made this live action seem more “animated”. Contacts, strange hair colors, and styles is what brought the originality of these animated characters to real life. Nothing significant was missed in the show and the outrageous fight scenes between characters are what keep the viewers engaged and amazed.

Yes, the acting and the script may seem “cartoonish,” but it is also what differentiated this live action from others. Typically when converting a work into live action, the plot, tone, and mood of the show starts to become more serious and in turn, less enjoyable. This was the opposite with One Piece, and I think what deserves most attention is the fact that nothing of the plot or the childish aspects were taken out. One Piece's original attraction was still there. 

Overall, I think the transition and outcome of this project was done in a way that didn't remove any sentiment of One Piece, living up to the reputation left by the anime. It is definitely a meaningful watch and I would recommend it to anyone who isn't willing to watch all 1000+ episodes of the anime.

A Gruesome Punishment : Saw X Movie Review 

By Tremaine Fuller

Editor’s Note: Views expressed in this article are

solely the author's opinions and beliefs.

Many hear the words “I want to play a game” and their minds go straight to an iconic franchise. Released September 29, 2023, Saw X is the tenth installment in the Saw series. The plot follows the renowned John Kramer, playing the protagonist for the first time in the series. Kramer is a cancer patient informed he has only months to live. With this in mind, he travels to Mexico for a risky medical procedure, only to discover that the entire operation is a scam targeting the most vulnerable people. As Saw fans would know, out of all the men to cheat, John Kramer is not one of them. I call that “epic bad luck”. 

Saw X is the one of the only two movies in the franchise, alongside Saw Spiral, to not be released in October. Specifically, both of these films were set to be released in October, but due to the pandemic, Saw Spiral was pushed from its original October 20, 2020 date to May 21, 2021. Conversely, it is well known that Saw X was moved originally from October 27, 2023 to September 29, 2023, to not compete with the highly anticipated Five Nights at Freddy’s,  released on the same day. As a Saw fan myself, I am afraid to admit that it would indeed be a losing battle for Saw.

Saw X is an amazing film to experience in the theaters. Rewatching it through streaming and seeing the foreshadowing and small details made me realize how much I love the film. The camera work and the acting is phenomenal, with rotations and the fast paced camera cuts making it feel as if you’re actually experiencing the intensity of the situation. It feels as if you are stuck in the traps yourself. Additionally, the soundtrack for the movie, Zepp X by composer Charlie Clouser, creates seamless transitions through scenes. Although some say the film’s music is simply a mix of music from previous films with slight alterations, Saw X’s soundtrack evokes a great nostalgic feeling that fits with the overall theme of the movie.

The film’s writing is brilliant. The traps from the movie, despite being more gory than traps from previous entries, are well thought out and detailed. The amazing quality is brought to life by the Effects Team and Makeup/Design Teams. My favorite trap, or “test” as John Kramer would say, would have to be the “Brain Surgery Trap”. This trap is inspired by a previous trap seen in Saw II. A character is meant to have a trap that causes her face to melt off, made from a waffle maker. The trap design takes inspiration from Tlāloc, the Aztec God of rain, hail, thunder, and lightning. The film greatly utilizes its setting, Mexico, to its advantage, incorporating Mexican culture through trap designs, filler scenes, and plain old landscape shots.

Personally, I believe that Saw X is my favorite movie released this year. It is impossible for me to give a full review of the movie because it’s a film you need to experience for yourself. Notably, this movie can be enjoyed even if you’re not a full fledged Saw fan or if you have not seen any of the previous movies. Whether you’re a diehard Saw fan, a horror movie enjoyer, or just a casual movie goer, I highly encourage you to give this movie a chance. Saw X is the first Saw film to get a “Certified Fresh” rating from Rotting Tomatoes, and it is loved by both fans and critics alike. 

Overall, an immense amount of work and love is put into this movie, making it a great improvement from the previous film, Saw Spiral. The twist at the end of the movie is another work of art. Even if you may have seen it coming, it has more twists and turns than a rollercoaster. For returning fans of the franchise, make sure to stay for the post credit scene, as it will definitely have you looking around wide eyed and jaw dropped to confirm what just happened. In summary, this is all I can say about Saw without being here for the whole day, unless… “Game Over”. 

A Plastic House Story to a Cinematic Revelation : Barbie Movie Review

By Wesley Che

Editor’s Note: Views expressed in this article are

solely the author's opinions and beliefs

Greta Gerwig’s Barbie is an amusing film that creates a world where characters from Mattel's premier doll franchise live their normal lives, only for a problem to arise for one particular Barbie doll. In the world of Barbieland lives many Barbie and Ken dolls such as Mermaid Barbie and Tourist Ken. One day, the  protagonist Barbie (played by Margot Robbie) wakes up and starts experiencing some abnormalities. Not only does she develop bad breath and flat feet, but she starts to worry about her mortality. It seems the child that is playing with her in the real world is most likely causing these changes to her in Barbieland. With the help of Beach Ken (played by Ryan Gosling), Barbie travels to the human world to find out what is causing her to change, only to find out that the real world isn’t what it seems.

As Barbie is busy finding her owner, Ken starts to wander around L.A., where he learns more about the concept of patriarchy. He begins to feel more respected than he ever felt back in Barbieland. Ken returns to Barbieland to transform it into an over-the-top representation of a male-dominated society that is almost dystopian in nature.

The movie has a lot of charm that I did not expect. The overall presentation of the film cannot be understated. A great deal of time and effort was put into making the set design as good as it is. Barbieland is very vibrant, colorful, and overall very aesthetically pleasing. Not straying far from from its source material, the movie feels exactly like an actual Barbie dollhouse coming to life. Moreover, the design choices lead to many hilarious jokes such as dolls drinking out of empty cups and pools with no water.

Of course, the acting and performances are spectacular as well, especially from the two lead roles. Margot Robbie puts on a very exuberant performance as Barbie, putting a lot of humor and emotion into her role. Ryan Gosling is very charismatic and hilarious as Ken. Specifically, his performance in the song “I’m Just Ken” is extremely passionate.

The movie mainly explores the roles of gender in society. There is a surprising amount of jokes relating to patriarchy, which would lead some people to dismiss the movie as “anti-men.” However, I genuinely believe that this movie is empowering for BOTH men and women. Barbie and Ken go through their own separate journeys of self-discovery as Barbie tries to comprehend the world and how things aren’t what they seem to be, while Ken finds himself trapped in a sea of toxic masculinity. In the end, both characters finally accept themselves for who they are. I think Barbie has a decent message, however the way the movie approaches these themes could be better.

At first, I didn’t know what to expect going to see Barbie in theaters in the summer of 2023. The concept of a film based off of a doll line targeted towards a young female audience seemed to be hit-or-miss for many people. However, thanks to extensive marketing, the right people making the film—especially after director Greta Gerwig’s successes with previous movies such as Lady Bird in 2017 and Little Women in 2019—and the online Barbenheimer phenomenon due to Christopher Nolan’s biographical film Oppenheimer being released on the same day, the movie turned out to be a hit! The film went on to be the first billion-dollar box office success for a female movie director! In conclusion, Barbie is a must-watch for anyone craving for a new experience! 

The Destructive Nature of a Decision : Oppenheimer Movie Review

By Daniel Mungavin

Editor’s Note: Views expressed in this article are

solely the author's opinions and beliefs.

The summer of 2023, like most summers, was a much anticipated time of year. However, this time around, the anticipation was not so much for the warm weather, beach days and vacations, but rather the climax of the Oppenheimer-Barbie hype that had been building for months. On July 21, 2023, the world was exposed to Christopher Nolan's 180 minute masterpiece, where he illustrated the life of  Julius Robert Oppenheimer and his involvement in the creation of the first nuclear bomb. 

The audience was able to follow his life from his schooling at Harvard University to becoming a professor at CalTech, to his instrumental part in the creation of Los Alamos and the first nuclear bomb, and finally, to the political assassination of his character following his immense efforts to close the so called “Pandora's Box” of nuclear weapons he’d opened. Stringing these events together, we see the struggles of his personal life and mental health, especially surrounding the morality of fathering such destruction; we see his controversial political views both before and after the creation of the nuclear bomb. Most of all, we are able to witness the modern impact of his work. Christopher Nolan, in no exaggeration of the word, created a near-perfect film of a man so misinterpreted and under-represented in history.

A portion of the film was impeccably executed through Nolan’s use of black and white and color parts of the film. This especially clever part of the film divided the movie up into two sections that got told in a sort of parallel fashion and worked to a tee, allowing the black and white portions to dictate and reflect the aftermath of whatever was going on in the color portions of the film. What might be originally taken to be flashbacks were actually flash forwards, and as the movie progressed, the audience was able to see how the color portion and black and white portion are directly linked. The black and white portion mainly takes place during his private trial, where Oppenheimer is accused of being a Communist (amongst other accusations). The color portions dictate not only the root of these accusations, but illustrates why they matter in the first place. This structure kept me engaged and it made for an astonishing climax when these different worlds collided, allowing us to see the full scope of his situation.

Another aspect of the film that I felt was not only great but very unique in our days of greenscreens and digital effects was Nolan's usage of practical effects. In fact, he exclusively used practical effects for everything down to the explosion of the first nuclear test scene, utilizing not only very big and very real explosions but also miniatures that were layered in post. It made scenes like that feel extraordinarily real, as opposed to the CGI you may be able to call out in movies like The Avengers. Outside the realm of explosions, Nolan was able to recreate what electrons, protons and neutrons look like on a subatomic level. Additionally, the film depicts spinning electrons, the death of a star, surface of the sun and more, all free of CGI.

Without spoiling the real meat of the movie, the graphics and concepts alone would make this movie worth your time. You do not need to love science or be a history buff to understand the movie. You do not need to be a film enthusiast or a photographer to receive shivers down your spine seeing the acceleration of electrons or the collapse of a star. The beauty of the way Nolan crafted this movie is that it is understandable at any level of knowledge regarding the subject matter. It is also further accentuated for those who truly love and understand the concepts of the film. The movie was right to take the nation by storm and therefore, deserved to be in the spotlight. While it may be difficult to carve out up to three hours to watch the film, it will be worth every minute and possibly radically change your view of the world today.